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PonyFans.com is proud to welcome, as a new columnist, Nate, who is 13 years old, in seventh grade, might want to be a sports writer and knows more about football than a lot of people who already make their living covering sports. Nate will preview each game throughout the season, looking at a key player, matchup or statistic that could prove relevant in each upcoming game … and he'll go out on a limb and pick the score of each game. Feel free to post comments and constructive criticism, and to give suggestions for upcoming games!

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While the Mustangs have had their inconsistencies, quarterback Garrett Gilbert has strung together three strong performances (photo by SMU athletics).

The Mustangs will head to Fort Worth Saturday to take on the hated TCU Horned Frogs in the annual Battle for the Iron Skillet.

SMU is coming off of an expected loss to Texas A&M, 42-13. From the opening kickoff, when JaBryce Taylor, who is going to get better as he is young, took the ball from seven yards deep in the end zone, hesitated and got drilled at about the 13. Johnny Manziel torched SMU again with two passing touchdowns as he also went 14-for-21 and had 244 yards passing, and had 12 carries for 102 yards and two rushing touchdowns in just three quarters before being pulled. The Aggies were overwhelming for the SMU defense, racking up 581 yards.

Garrett Gilbert didn’t light it up, but again had another solid game. He went 37-62 with 310 passing yards and one touchdown, a 31-yard pass to Keenan Holman, who had a solid game with 10 catches, 133 yards and a touchdown. Prescott Line got the majority of the mere 17 carries SMU had with nine for 40 yards. I really believe that Line could be something special. I saw some huge flashes of his brother, Zach, as there were times when the Aggies could not tackle him. I am certainly fine with the offense, which had 434 yards, but the defense has been the problem, not the offense.

TCU’s offense is not what it used to be, but it could be very effective against this SMU defense that ranks 115th in the country in scoring defense, giving up 37.7 points a game. TCU only averages 354 yards and 25 points per game. The matchup I am most excited to see is a strong TCU defense, which only has given up 24 points a game, against SMU’s high-powered offense.

The Frogs have the same record as the Mustangs, thanks to equally tough schedules (each team's wins have come against FCS teams, and each team has lost to a good Texas Tech team and a top-10 SEC team).

TCU leads the all-time series against SMU, 45-40-7. They have won 17 of their last 22 games dating back to 1990 and have won 5 out of the last six, SMU winning in 2011 in overtime 40-33 the last time SMU played at TCU. TCU won last year in a rainy, messy 24-16 win that could have gone either way.

Regular TCU quarterbackCasey Pachall is out for the season with a broken forearm, so SMU will see Trevone Boykin at quarterback. Boykin is a better runner, but worse passer than Pachall. If the Mustangs can contain this mobile quarterback, they can succeed because J.R. Richardson and Kenneth Acker are solid cornerbacks.

SMU’s defense should be stronger getting senior linebacker Randall Joyner, who has been out since the opener against Texas Tech.

“We feel like every game is important, from Montana State to Texas Tech to whoever, because it’s on the schedule and they wouldn’t put it on the schedule if it wasn’t important," Joyner said. "We play 12 games and those are the 12 games that you’re guaranteed.”

Joyner talked about what the rivalry has been like between SMU and TCU.

“You get a little added fire, a little added motivation, knowing the rivalry, the history of this game," he said. "We’ve been going back and forth these past few years. It’s been a dogfight and it’s all been close.

"We just want to go out there and we expect to win. We don’t play any game not to win. That’s our mindset and we’re focusing. We’re just trying to beat TCU this week.”

I feel that, as Joyner perfectly explained, it will be a huge dogfight. TCU coach Gary Patterson will have his team ready and remind his players what happened in 2011, when the Mustangs knocked off the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth. TCU’s good defense against SMU’s good offense, TCU’s struggling offense against SMU’s struggling defense — it’s going to be a dogfight in Fort Worth on Saturday, and I am completely puzzled about the outcome of this game as it easily could go either way. I do sense that if SMU’s offense can make some plays, and the defense can hold off TCU long enough for SMU to build a lead, as happened in 2011, It can be another happy, happy Saturday for the Ponies.

Nate’s Take: SMU 27, TCU 24